New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs issued a comprehensive advisory on Saturday night, cautioning Indian citizens planning the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra through private travel agencies. The central government has urged all pilgrims to meticulously verify the credentials of their chosen tour operators to ensure they are fully registered and authorized before booking their journeys.
The urgent advisory was prompted by a surge in emergency assistance requests from Indian nationals who found themselves stranded in Nepal. According to the MEA, these travelers had commenced their pilgrimage through private operators without securing the mandatory entry permits and visas required by Chinese authorities. The ministry strongly emphasized that citizens must not leave India until every necessary travel document for the entire duration of the itinerary has been physically obtained.
Foreign ministry officials warned that beginning a journey based on anticipated approvals or unconfirmed documentation significantly increases the risk of being stranded in foreign transits. This warning follows the MEA’s April announcement outlining the official schedule for the annual pilgrimage, which runs from June to August via two designated paths: the Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand and the Nathu La route in Sikkim.
The yatra successfully resumed last year after an extensive five-year suspension. The annual pilgrimage was initially halted in 2020 due to the global COVID-19 pandemic and remained suspended in the subsequent years owing to the sensitive military standoff between Indian and Chinese forces along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh. The current advisory seeks to safeguard travelers as bilateral frameworks gradually normalize.
